Saturday, 29 December 2012

"Croydon’s Conservative-run council is forcing through policies that are so unpopular that the local Labour group is joining forces with UKIP to oppose them.This unlikely political alliance has come about to seek a judicial review of Croydon Council’s decision to hand over the borough’s 13 public libraries to a subsidiary of the building firm, John Laing.""According to library campaigner Elizabeth Ash, the terms of the library outsourcing contract being offered to JLIS are to maintain the existing service, but the “service that has been run into the ground since before the consultation began, with huge loss of staff, greatly depleted book stock, and lack of service in our libraries as staff are often ill-equipped and untrained.“The strain this has placed on our original staff, and on those new trying to fulfil the role, must be immense,” Ash said.“What we know, if this contract goes ahead, is that the terms and conditions of our remaining staff will be maintained, as they have no alternative … but there is no commitment to keep the many staff we understand are on short-term contract, so new staff can be taken on with lesser qualifications, pay and conditions,” said the Sanderstead resident."